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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. race — humankind
  3. charge — in control
  4. tear — from crying
  5. race — the arms race
  6. swing — to play on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — for paper
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — electricity
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. race — a contest
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. root — of a plant
  17. craft — boats
  18. clip — to cut
  19. swing — in golf
  20. tear — to rip
  21. root — the cause
  22. swing — music
  23. charge — a price
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com